Brad Mehldau Does Elliott Smith

Brad Mehldau’s encounter with Elliott Smith’s music began in 1998 during an intimate performance at Café Largo in Los Angeles, where Smith’s intricate harmonies and distinctive songwriting immediately resonated with the jazz pianist. This moment marked the start of a creative relationship that Mehldau would cultivate through live performances and recordings over the following decades.

Smith’s compositions, known for their emotional depth and unconventional harmonic structures, presented a unique challenge and inspiration for Mehldau. The pianist found a kinship in Smith’s approach to melody and harmony, linking it to a shared musical heritage that included artists like the Beatles and Joni Mitchell. This connection was deepened by their mutual background in classical piano, which Mehldau credits as a common thread in their artistry.

During his years living in Los Angeles, Mehldau had opportunities to collaborate with Smith and experienced firsthand the complexity of his personality and music. Despite Smith’s struggles with depression and addiction, which contrasted with Mehldau’s own path through recovery, their brief acquaintance left a lasting impression on Mehldau’s artistic sensibilities. Smith’s music, often described as a blend of vulnerability and soaring beauty, continued to influence Mehldau’s repertoire long after Smith’s untimely death in 2003.

Mehldau’s dedication to Smith’s work is evident in his ongoing performances of “Bottle Up and Explode!” and his recording of “Sky Turning Grey (For Elliott Smith)” on the 2010 album Highway Rider. These interpretations showcase Mehldau’s ability to bridge jazz improvisation with the emotional core of Smith’s songwriting, creating a dialogue between genres and eras.

In recent years, Mehldau has expanded this exploration with the 2023 release of Ride Into the Sun, a project that moves beyond mere cover versions to construct a musical universe informed by Smith’s legacy. The album intertwines original compositions with reinterpretations of Smith’s songs, as well as pieces by artists influential to Smith such as Nick Drake and Big Star. This approach highlights the interconnectedness of their musical lineages and emphasizes the thematic and harmonic continuities across their work.

Collaborations with musicians like Chris Thile, Matt Chamberlain, and Daniel Rossen have enriched the Ride Into the Sun project, bringing diverse vocal and instrumental textures that deepen the emotional resonance of Smith’s songs. Touring with these artists has also illuminated the universal qualities of Smith’s lyrics, revealing their capacity to transcend personal narrative and connect with broader audiences.

Mehldau reflects on Smith’s artistic trajectory, suggesting that had he lived longer, Smith might have pursued increasingly ambitious arrangements and possibly ventured into composing for film, a medium where his music’s evocative nature has often found a home.

Simultaneously, Mehldau is poised to release Fantasy & Reveries on November 13 via Nonesuch Records, a collection of original solo piano compositions that diverge from his Smith-focused work. These pieces, characterized by their concise emotional expressions and classical influences, represent a continuation of his recent interest in short-form piano works developed during the COVID-19 lockdown.

The recording process for Fantasy & Reveries was streamlined and intimate, contrasting with the collaborative and multi-textured production of Ride Into the Sun. This project showcases Mehldau’s pianistic voice, shaped by years of experience across jazz, classical, and popular music genres.

Mehldau’s engagement with Elliott Smith’s repertoire exemplifies the jazz tradition of absorbing and transforming external musical influences. While the long-term impact of Smith’s music on jazz is still unfolding, Mehldau’s interpretations contribute a significant chapter to this evolving dialogue, reaffirming the enduring vitality of Smith’s songwriting within contemporary musical discourse.